New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-07

tho Presidents annual message OmitS all refer
cncc TO the many grave public interests re-
spccting which good citizens OF all parties
agree and is exclusively devoted to an issue
between parties. President Cleveland gives
Congress no information about the fishery
question, the pending negotiations with Great
Rritain or relations with Other foreign Powers.
For all information regarding domestic affairs
and the workings of the Government IN ITS
different departments, it refers the public to
rcports of Cabinet officers. SO absorbed is The
President in pressing upon Congress partcu-
lar and disinctivciy partisan policy. in re-
gard to the mode of reducing revenue that he
finds no space for any account OF the conoi'!oh
Of the public service, or Tor any reference 10
other grave questions not of partisan char-
actcr. which call for Congressional acton
The nearest approach 20 this strange perform
ancc, in the annual messages of previous Prcsl-
dents, was when Mr.. Buchanan devoted most
Of message to defence OF his
policy in Kansas. The precedent can hardly
be considered attractive, in the light Of It's
results.
President Cleveland seems rcfrcShingly III
aware that his entire message IS inspired by
extreme frcc-tradc theories. " dwelling upon
the theories Of protection and free trade" he
solcmnly remarks. "will not help to wise con
cluSon," as if all his arguments bad no been
of that precise character With the least IN
tclljgcnt and least practical Free Traders
he assumes that tariffs "rniSc the price to all
consumers of all articles imported and sub
icct to duty, by precisely the sum paid for such
duties" and cause consumers OF similar do
nv .ttftn he
same enhanced price which the duty adds 70
the imported articles" Only the most extreme
Tree Traders in these later days Of light and
experience, cling to an assumption 80 con-
stantly contradictcd by the course Of markets
in this and other countries. II seems never 10
have occurred to the President that foreign
prices are. in fact. to large extent controlled
by the American demand Yet on this Oft
lcfutcd assumption Of mere theorists, his
reasoning is entirely based.
Even statements Of fact in this unprccc-
dcntcd message are such as find currency ana
crcdcncc only among frcc-tfadc theorists who
are not well informed Has President Cicvc-
land never read the declaration by his own
special consular agent, Mr. Schocnhof, that the
prices Of woollcn goods in this country quality
considered. are on the whole a low as in Ger
many? Apparently not. for his long argu-
mcnt for abolition Of wool duties rests on the
supposion that the tariff enhances the cost Of
woollcns worn by small farmer more than
S36 yearly, and constitutes tax which, with
relentless grasp, is fastened upon the clothing
of every man. woman and child in the land
1t would doubtless astoniSh the President to
know how much fine woolcn cloth, from NILS
in this country, had passed through Buffalo to
find consumers in Canada.
1t is hard to understand how the President
rcconcilcs his statements respecting the sur
pins revenue with official reports of his sub
ordinatcs. The Treasury Department has
within a week reported that the currency OF
all kinds in circulation outside the Treasury
is $50 900. 900 more than 1t was FIVE months
ago, and Sl19 100000 more than it was seven
teen months ago, and yet the President aliirms
that "a withdrawal from use OF the people,
circulating medium" has " lately subjected the
business community to distress" Ii Is not the
fact that there has been any withdrawal. TN
the contrary. the Administration has largely
inflated the currency since July |. and within
the past seventeen months. But the Prcsl-
dents graycst error j. the unfOundcd assump-
ton that a nccdiul reduction Of revenue can
best be attained by lowering duties and thus
inviting larger imp0rtations. Vague in It's
recommendations, fairly open to criticism as
sharing the incapacity Of the Presidents po-
litcal friends for practical details, the message
nevertheless points plainly to an abolition of
duties on wool, products Of the sob, the mnc
and the forest and other materials. and 10
radical reduction In those duties which have
been designed TO defend home industry against
competition.
II is a most unwclcomc task to speak only in
critical and controversial terms OF the annual
message Of President. But in this instance
the President himself, not speaking for the
whole people, whose official representative he
ought to be, has chosen to speak exclusively
for one faction of one party, and only on the
chief issue between parties. IL is a message
which his political friends will kccnly regret,
and which they will labor to explain away
when they come TO confront the voters next
fail. But it is well for the country that the
ssuc. 50 long and uncandldly cvadcd, has at
last been sharply made. Credit is due to The
President for making the issue boldly and dis
tinctly, so that no man can hereafter claim,
with show Of reason, that the theories and
aims Of ultra opponents of protection have not
in him Jealous advocate. On the issue thus
presented, the people cannot decide too soon
and upon their decision will largely depend
their future prosperity.
TORIES AND THE PRESIDENT